"I am now making progress in the manufacture of muskets. My general plan of manufacturing these arms by machinery is designed to make the parts so much alike that any part of a lock may be used for any other lock of the same pattern..."
— Eli Whitney, letter to the U.S. government, 1803
Which of the following describes the most direct effect of the technological innovation described in the excerpt?
- AIt allowed households to remain self-sufficient by producing complex manufactured goods at home.
- It facilitated the growth of mass production and the factory system in the United States.Answer
- CIt was designed to help the United States comply with British mercantilist trade regulations.
- DIt directly resolved political debates between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans over the constitutionality of a national bank.
Answer
It facilitated the growth of mass production and the factory system in the United States.
The use of machinery to produce interchangeable parts, as outlined by Eli Whitney, allowed for the standardized assembly of goods. This innovation shifted manufacturing from artisanal workshops to factories, facilitating the growth of mass production in the United States.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Interchangeable parts and the rise of mass production